The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Side tables for positioning traditional surgical instruments such as scalpels, clamps, retractors, dilators, suction tips, scopes and probes, for example, are well known in the art and typically include a free standing platform having a flat surface onto which these items can be placed during an operation.
In recent years, scientific advancements have allowed an ever increasing number of surgical procedures to be performed utilizing minimally invasive techniques. The most common form of minimally invasive surgery in the United States is laparoscopic surgery in which a surgeon makes one or more small incisions in the abdomen of a patient and then utilizes a thin, lighted tube to access the abdominal cavity.
Special laparoscopic instruments such as cannulas, trocars, sealers, cutters and the like are elongated and delicate instruments which must remain sterile at all times. Although there are known devices that can assist a surgeon by maintaining the position of a single laparoscopic instrument that is in direct contact with a patient, there is no such device that can store and position a plurality of laparoscopic instruments that are not actively being used. Moreover, owing to the size and shape of laparoscopic devices, traditional surgical tables are not ideally suited to for these types of instruments. As a result, it is common practice for surgeons to place the laparoscopic instruments on the actual patient and/or the patient's bed during the procedure. This practice is not ideal, as involuntary movements by the patient and/or the surgeon often causes the instruments to fall to the floor. When this occurs, the delicate laparoscopic instrument can become damaged and must be inspected and then re sterilized before it can be used again.
Accordingly, the need exists for a surgical instrument caddy that can position any number of laparoscopic instruments at a convenient location for a surgeon that does not suffer from the drawbacks described above.